Theology and Media(tion): Rendering the Absent Present

The Gospel of John quotes Jesus, “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). From the beginning, Christian thought has wrestled with questions of mediation. Following his death, resurrection, and ascension, how is Christ made present to the world today? How are distant communities held together in communion? What means should Christians use to spread the word of God?

Drawing together the best work on scripture, liturgy, ethics, and pedagogy Theology and Media(tion) explores historical and contemporary questions about how the Christian tradition has sought to navigate the tension between presence and absence in this significant collection of essays from CTS 2023. In addition to the plenary addresses by Robert A. Orsi (Northwestern University), Hanna Reichel (Princeton Theological Seminary), and Joseph Flipper (University of Dayton), it includes essays by Deepan Rajaratnam (Saint Louis University), Amy E. W. Maxey (Oblate School of Theology), Jane Sloan Peters (College of Mount Saint Vincent), Laura Taylor (College of Saint Benedict & Saint John’s University), Dennis Wieboldt (University of Notre Dame), Ethan Vander Leek (Marquette University), Jacob Kohlhaas (Loras College), Matthew Gummess (University of Notre Dame), Tim Dulle (Saint Louis University), Timothy Hanchin (Villanova University), Trevor Williams (Villanova University), Vicente Chong (Boston College), and Christopher Denny (St. John’s University).

Stephen Okey is assistant professor of philosophy, theology, and religion, Saint Leo University, Saint Leo, FL, where he teaches courses in Catholic theology and ethics. He earned his master’s degree in theology from the University of Chicago Divinity School and his Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Boston College. He is a contributor and podcast host at Daily Theology, a collaborative Catholic theology blog.

Katherine Schmidt is associate professor and chair of the theology and religious studies department, Molloy University, Rockville Centre, NY where she teaches a variety of courses in religious studies and ethics. Her research focuses on the relationship of theology and culture, specifically digital culture and technology.